Nearly 3,000 top athletes from 92 countries are converging on PyeongChang, South Korea to ski, skate, sled, and curl their way to Olympic gold and glory. In addition to medals, some athletes will walk away with lucrative sponsorships. But others will return to part-time jobs, unemployment, modest stipends, and other financial situations that don’t make it on the front of a Wheaties box.

Unfortunately, gold, silver, and bronze don’t always translate to enough green for athletes to stay solvent. While medals often come with cash prizes — a gold medal will net a U.S. competitor $37,500 — these awards are only for a handful of individuals in each sport, and they pale in comparison to the funds needed to become a world-class contender. The prices of training, equipment, travel, healthcare, and other expenses add up for those competing at a global level. The high costs become particularly pronounced when you consider the increased likelihood of injuries, the difficulty of holding a full-time job while on a rigorous training schedule, and the fact that most sports only have a narrow window of time when athletes can compete in their prime.

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